Tower Site

[iamhere300]

I have been asked for some pictures of the Mounds AT&T site, and have not wanted to put any out in the public until we had all the "changes" done at the site for security. Hopefully I can figure out how to stream the video from inside and outside to a public web page where people can go to look - the view from the tower is great.

Most of the changes are now done, a newer alarm system, and the video recorders and cameras, so as promised, check them out.

Blake Bowers's Photos | Facebook

Mounds Junk - a set on Flickr

I am going to try to get more on.

 

[n5bew1]

There is one very much like this one just east of Noble. Part of the same system. I got to tour the one in Noble back when it was still operational. Huge glass wet cell batteries that looked like huge glass fish tanks. Also a monster diesel generator with I think 10000 gallons of fuel. Now it is just a two way tower site on steroids for American Tower.

 

[iamhere300]

Actually, Noble still has an AT&T presence. They built a room in it to secure it, and the site is heavily alarmed on the inside. The presence is small, but vital to our nations defense. The rest of the site is as you say, and ATC tower site on steroids.

It was a microwave junction in its time, it was never an Autovon site like Mounds, but the building
construction was similar. Mounds is just a bit bigger.

Those batteries are heavy. We use a engine "cherry picker" (i always just called them a hoist) with
a special nylon strap harness to move them. 500+lbs each if I remember.

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

Hey, that place looks mighty familiar. Do you have any pictures of the old ration boxes stacked against the wall downstairs or any other "Cold War" era type pictures?

 

[iamhere300]

Hey, that place looks mighty familiar. Do you have any pictures of the old ration boxes stacked against the wall downstairs or any other "Cold War" era type pictures?

No, but I am actively searching for them. There was probably an article done, In a local paper, but I have no idea when - somewhere in the early 60's. There was also a military presence there during the first gulf war,
according to some locals - but I have not been able to find anything definitive.

 

[zz0468]

You guys would probably get a kick out of these sites, then:

AT&T Long Lines Microwave Towers Remembered

The Microwave Radio and Coaxial Cable Networks of the Bell System

 

[n5bew1]

Actually, Noble still has an AT&T presence. They built a room in it to secure it, and the site is heavily alarmed on the inside. The presence is small, but vital to our nations defense. The rest of the site is as you say, and ATC tower site on steroids.

It was a microwave junction in its time, it was never an Autovon site like Mounds, but the building
construction was similar. Mounds is just a bit bigger.

Those batteries are heavy. We use a engine "cherry picker" (i always just called them a hoist) with
a special nylon strap harness to move them. 500+lbs each if I remember.

One of our local hams worked at the Noble site until retirement and it was an important site for gov't and military comms back in the day. I remember huge racks of equipment where they could plug in head phones and listen to a call on a specific line if a need arose.

 

[iamhere300]

You guys would probably get a kick out of these sites, then:

AT&T Long Lines Microwave Towers Remembered

The Microwave Radio and Coaxial Cable Networks of the Bell System

Yep, we know both sites well - the only reason I went to Flickr for my pictures is I was overloading Alberts site, long-lines.net. He has pictures of a number of my towers there.

 

[iamhere300]

Mounds II - a set on Flickr

Some new ones

 

[UTLNOK]

Mounds II - a set on Flickr

Some new ones

Bad news...looks like someones done ram-sacked the place...

But seriously, I'm assuming these are pictures of some old radio equipment...I was a little late to this thread, so I'm just going to through my best guess, maybe from the little town of Mounds, OK?...

some pretty old looking stuff, was it EDACs, perhaps LTR...in any case...thanks for the pics, very entertaining.

 

[iamhere300]

Bad news...looks like someones done ram-sacked the place...

But seriously, I'm assuming these are pictures of some old radio equipment...I was a little late to this thread, so I'm just going to through my best guess, maybe from the little town of Mounds, OK?...

some pretty old looking stuff, was it EDACs, perhaps LTR...in any case...thanks for the pics, very entertaining.

Nope, the electronics is the old gear from the AT&T days. The scrappers never got quite done. There is a working Motorola Micor in the back, as well as some microwave stuff for a couple of systems. There is also a microwave link back to tulsa for the security monitors.